Psoraleae fructus is a ripe fruit of Psoralea corilifolia and is traditionally used as a tonic in Chinese herbal medicine. Psoraleae fructus contains many chemical ingredients which have been found possessing pharmacological activities as shown in the literature. Beside lipids, the main chemical ingredients contained in psoraleae fructus include psoralen, isopsoralen and bakuchiol. Among the ingredients, bakuchiol with a phenol terpene structure has received a lot of attention in the past. Many articles related to bakuchiol reveal that bakuchiol has the pharmacological activities as follows: antimutation, hepatoprotection, antioxidation, weak estrogen like effect, cytotoxic effect, DNA polymerase inhibitor, anti-inflammation, and antihyperglycemic effect.
Among the patent disclosures, Japan patent publication No. 11-71231 discloses that bakuchiol is capable of inhibiting tyrosinase and can be used in making cosmetics having a skin whitening effect. Japan patent publication Nos. 2000-327581 and 2001-233707 disclose the bacteriostatic effects of bakuchiol, and its use as an agent in sterilizing oral cavity, anti-legionella agent, and anti-MRSA agent. Japan patent publication No. 3-20218 discloses the cellular toxicity of bakuchiol and its use as an anti-corn agent. Japan Patent 7-109225 discloses that lipids in psoraleae fructus are effective in strengthening bone strength through bone calcification.
Current data show that the use of estrogen in treating postmenopausal estrogen-deficient osteoporosis will increase the probability of the subject woman in gaining breast cancer. Thus, there is a pressing need in developing a medicine capable of treating postmenopausal estrogen-deficient osteoporosis without increasing the probability of the subject woman in gaining breast cancer. Of cause, a medicine capable of treating breast cancer, as well as postmenopausal estrogen-deficient osteoporosis is also beneficial.